This has been an absolutely brilliant visit to New York. I think there are really only very few cities that have so much to offer. Whatever delights you and no matter what your interests are, here you will find a plethora of museums, excursions, theatres, and restaurants to keep you busy.

Introduction

The day before my departure, I walk all the way from Central Park to downtown Manhattan, across the Brooklyn Bridge, and on to the Transport Museum of New York, which is located underground in a disused subway station. I think it’s a pretty cool place to visit.

I’m halfway across the bridge on my way back when I receive a phone call from SAS informing me that my flight to Copenhagen is severely overbooked. As a result, they’ve rebooked me on the flight to Oslo instead. To be honest, I think I would have preferred to remain on the original flight to Copenhagen, mainly because it’s operated by the Airbus A 330-300.

Getting to Newark Airport

At 13h30 the next day, I exit the Sofitel on 44th Street and make my way to the subway station at Bryant Park. From there I take a line B train heading downtown to 34th Street, one stop away. From there I go back up to street level and walk ten minutes across to Seventh Avenue to enter the legendary Penn Station.

Trains to the airport run every twenty minutes. I’ve just missed one, so the next departure is at 14h07. Newark Airport is the third stop, and it’s a journey of 24 minutes.

Normally, passengers connect here to the AirTrain that serves all terminals. However, they’re currently expanding the service, which is why it’s temporarily suspended. A replacement bus has been put in place. By the time I reach the terminal, it’s coming up to three in the afternoon.

SAS Check-in at Terminal B

Most of the foreign airlines depart from Terminal B. International departures, including SAS, check in on level 3. Fortunately, I was able to check in online, because the SAS counters are busy checking in passengers for the two Airbus A 330-300 services to Copenhagen and Stockholm respectively, and my flight to Oslo.

Passport control and security are quick, all things considered. Although you really do wonder about some people. The guy manning my security lane is an utter waste of space. He’s basically either barking useless orders at passengers or complaining loudly about how he can’t stand “doing this same sh🤬t” day in day out. The one thing he does not do, is help passengers in any way to get their stuff ready to be checked. Behind security, the terminal is quite ugly and looks like it was last updated in the late seventies.

The SAS Business Class Lounge Newark Airport

SAS operates its own Business Class lounge here in Newark, and it ain’t pretty. It’s rather cramped and very crowded when I arrive. The furniture is worn and mostly rather filthy. When I finally find a seat, I have an excellent view of the not so gorgeous wallpaper peeling off the wall.

SAS Business Class Boarding

Boarding starts a few minutes ahead of schedule. Right next to our gate they’re boarding the flight to Copenhagen, which is being operated by the A 330-300 in the celebratory 80th anniversary livery.

The whole process is a bit chaotic and uncoordinated, eventually starting with group 1 being called once all special needs passengers have boarded. I motion for the woman in front of me to go ahead, and she tells me that she’s in group 2, which has me wondering why she parked herself at the head if the queue in the first place.

SAS Business Class Cabin

The flight today is completely full. I’m seated on 3D, which is an aisle seat on a row of two. I’m travelling with my better half and saving grace, so at least I won’t spend the flight next to a complete stranger. This seat has hardly any storage space, except for the small net under the video screen. At least the blanket has a protective plastic cover, so I can stuff that in the foot well of my seat. Other than that, though, I sit there with the pillow and vanity kit in my lap because there’s simply nowhere else to put them and the overhead bins are full.

SAS Service & Crew

Alas, the crew on this flight are quite simply horrible. They must be, hands down, the worst I’ve ever experienced on any flight. Especially the purser is unpleasant and outrageously rude. I won’t go into details here. I think it says it all, though, that by the time the meal service begins, I’ve come to the realisation that this flight is a train wreck that cannot be salvaged. So I do the only sensible thing: I decline dinner, put on my earplugs and eyeshades, go to sleep and leave the purser to be rude to other people.

Arrival in Oslo

The following morning, I wake up just as we start our descent into Oslo. The weather is miserable, with the crew reporting rain, low visibility, and a temperature of only fourteen degrees Celsius. We land at 07h15, just a few minutes ahead of schedule. I now have just under seven hours to make my connection to Zürich. I’m starving!

Conclusion

This was a dreadful experience with SAS and arguably the worst flight I’ve ever done. Indifference and incompetence are obviously not very pleasant, but forgivable. However, the crew on this flight went out of their way to be rude, not just to me but to all passengers, and that is problematic on so many levels.

Other than that, I’m not quite sure what to make of the SAS Business Class product on the A 321LR. On the one hand, the single seats are quite private and have plenty of storage space. On the other hand, though, the twin seats are the complete opposite. On the aisle seat you’re very exposed, with hardly any privacy and next to no storage space.

In more general terms, I find myself questioning more and more the value proposition of the A 321LR and XLR. I understand the airline managers’ perspective and the promising economics of the aircraft. From a passenger’s perspective, though, I’m not convinced. The limited space on the aircraft means that the cabin configuration is always going to be a compromise. For example, on SAS’s A 321LR the one toilet for 22 passengers is located right behind the cockpit, making it difficult to reach without obstructing the service. On a flight of two hours, where the meal service is usually not overly elaborate, this may not be such an issue. However, on longer flights the service usually takes longer to complete. I think it’s a bit much to expect passengers to stay put to avoid getting in the way.